Month: June 2016

Editor’s note: Since news broke that the chief of army staff, Tukur Buaratai and his two wives owned property in Dubai, his friends have been out to defend him; one of such friends is Asabe Audu Maikano. Maikano believes that can also be entrepreneurs and contribute to the family’s welfare. She says women apart from having huge investment in farming, also run ventures that springs profit for themselves and their family’s upkeep.

I am ardent reader of Sahara Reporters and I must confess, I have always admired their reporting style. I see them as one of the voices emancipating our country from undue grip of backwardness emanating from the activities of selfish privileged few whose desire is to run the country aground. Their style of saying it as it is no matter who is under the spotlight has helped in enlightening many Nigerians on the atrocities happening under their noses yet they do not have the slightest clue. I still hold this view.

However, after reading the above titled exposé, I felt Sahara Reporters should tread their job with calculated caution else some vested interest wishing to hold down the progress of this nation feed them with misleading information in order to use this medium in reaching their hidden devious agenda. Indeed it is the peak goal of any media house to be the first to break the hot news especially of hidden scandals, however, a professional media house will first tarry a while and investigate further before going public with a career damning report because of the consequences it definitely will have on the victims of the report if it turns out there is misinformation somewhere.

It is to buttress this point that I thought of writing this rejoinder. There may be something amiss from the above titled report by the afore-mentioned medium. I simply want to make a case for the Buratai wives’ source of income which perhaps explains their ability to own the property in question in conjunction with their husband. Even though not directly, I happen to know the Buratai’s a long time before their husband reached the top rank he now holds.

I established this relationship with them through a business venture they run even before their husband began to hold what Nigerians refer to as juicy posts. To be precise, Lt. General Buratai’s wives run a registered loans scheme venture which they call ‘SANA’ARMU’, a cooperative whereby they offer particularly women and other less privileged persons soft loans ranging from N10,000 to higher amounts in order to venture into farming and other legitimate preoccupations.

To join, one would have to sign legal documents signifying agreement to the terms and conditions which include weekly remittance of ten percent of the total profit one has accrued from the revolving loan. Thus while one recipient may be turning in one thousand weekly, another may be turning in ten thousand and even higher depending on the amount collected.

This deposits are documented in the recipient’s own name. After a year, all the contributions one had made are reviewed and shared according to a ratio of 50/50 between the cooperative and the recipient. This transaction continues until such a time when one has repaid the loan, from whence, if the recipient wishes, she terminates the contract or continues and that is the actual time when the venture begins to make profit.

This is a scheme involving hundreds of beneficiaries among whom is this writer. I must confess, this venture had helped me out of dire need as a graduate who could not find a job after 10 years of graduating with a 2/1 degree in English Language from a first generation Nigerian university. When we enrolled, we did so as a group of four and were remitting at least one thousand each weekly from our groundnut oil making proceeds, now we have split into four different individuals running their separate businesses.

Today, I proudly run a popcorn, yogurt, groundnut oil and its kuli-kuli by product making businesses. In addition, it has helped me in buying a commercial vehicle which I have leased out and a modest plot of land where I plant soya beans! Today, I have turned out not just a business person but also an employer of labour involving women and a man who are also benefiting indirectly from the Buratai wives co-operative venture.

The good news is even the driver of my commercial vehicle now owns his own golf car which he has leased out too. As I have earlier mentioned, I enrolled into this business at a time when this COAS and husband to these distinguished women was a Brigadier General. I do not know when they started the venture what I know is that those presently involved in the scheme are over a thousand and this scheme has been on for over five years.

If I as a beneficiary is able to turn around my loan into these other investments, how much do you think the wives are worth? My point is, what is wrong in such industrious women buying property, in conjunction with their husband, from any part of the world? In fact, the report only added to the respect I hold for the General for the fact that he has to jointly own property along with his wives at a time when his mates as generals are “single handedly” owning porsche estates from different parts of the world! If this is not a sign of financial discipline, honest earning and planning please what else is? And at what price did they jointly own the property?

Sahara Reporters quoted N120 million! Going by the scandalous revelations emanating from financial recklessness of our powers that be, how much is N120 million that Lt.General Buratai will not “single handedly” own this property if indeed the money is from proceeds of corruption?

It is for this reason that I call on Sahara Reporters and other news outlets to be cautious in going to press with just any incriminating news because those feeding them with the information might be doing so with a different motive. This is especially so seeing that this COAS is bent on fighting any form of insurgency pants down and for sure, sponsors of such instability will go to any extent in fighting dirty.

Furthermore, of what investigative importance is it publishing the international passports of this women thereby exposing them to the risk of falling into the hands of fraudsters and impostors? What relevant evidence does publishing their private documents add to the information of illegal purchase of a property in Dubai, if at all we can call the transaction as such?

In my opinion, this has served only in transgressing into the privacy of the women because merely quoting their passport numbers would have sufficed if indeed it was necessary. Bearing in mind that this news medium is operating from the USA, is such an act legal over there? Besides, there are discrepancies in the story which the medium may wish to review.

At this point, I wish to advice the COAS not to be distracted from his focus of fighting crime in Nigeria as many of us have not had it better in a long time. We understand many of the agitations and vandalism going on as an attempt to portray this crop of leaders as incapable of ridding the country of its bedevilling insecurity thus causing the public to lose confidence in their leadership. But we know better.

Those who have benefited from past government rascality are busy using different diversionary tactics to bury their footprints hence will not allow those who have shown signs of competence do their job. It is a sign of strength of character for one to wade through his challenges successfully with head high. We believe divine hands will protect and guide you in doing the right thing and will continue to bless your wives’ efforts to earn legitimate living. Maikano is a house wife and contributed this piece from Kaduna, Kaduna state.

It is for this reason that I call on Sahara Reporters and other news outlets to be cautious in going to press with just any incriminating news because those feeding them with the information might be doing so with a different motive. This is especially so seeing that this COAS is bent on fighting any form of insurgency pants down and for sure, sponsors of such instability will go to any extent in fighting dirty.

Furthermore, of what investigative importance is it publishing the international passports of this women thereby exposing them to the risk of falling into the hands of fraudsters and impostors? What relevant evidence does publishing their private documents add to the information of illegal purchase of a property in Dubai, if at all we can call the transaction as such?

In my opinion, this has served only in transgressing into the privacy of the women because merely quoting their passport numbers would have sufficed if indeed it was necessary. Bearing in mind that this news medium is operating from the USA, is such an act legal over there? Besides, there are discrepancies in the story which the medium may wish to review.

At this point, I wish to advice the COAS not to be distracted from his focus of fighting crime in Nigeria as many of us have not had it better in a long time. We understand many of the agitations and vandalism going on as an attempt to portray this crop of leaders as incapable of ridding the country of its bedevilling insecurity thus causing the public to lose confidence in their leadership. But we know better.

Those who have benefited from past government rascality are busy using different diversionary tactics to bury their footprints hence will not allow those who have shown signs of competence do their job. It is a sign of strength of character for one to wade through his challenges successfully with head high. We believe divine hands will protect and guide you in doing the right thing and will continue to bless your wives’ efforts to earn legitimate living. Maikano is a house wife and contributed this piece from Kaduna, Kaduna state.

Nigerian thieves are unlike any other criminal gangsters that you will find elsewhere on the planet. They are REAL thieves with passion to steal in grandeur style and with vengeance. They steal as though it is in their DNA make-up. When they steal, their appetite is to steal not in millions but in billions! And they do it without fear of God, remorse and the slightest consideration for the consequence of their thieving actions on the rest of the masses.

Dishonourable Abdul Mumin Jibrin is the so called Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation. On 12th April 2016 we published an article in which we exposed him for padding the 2016 budget to the tune of N4.3 billion, involving at least five MDAs. This colossal amount was supposedly for projects in his Bebeji/Kiru constituency of Kano state.

The audacious padding of the 2016 budget by Abdulmumin Jibrin and his fellow co-conspirators at the NASS brought significance hardship to Nigerian masses. The budget ratification was delayed by almost 5 months. This meant that no new money was pumped into the economy after the demise of the most corrupt and scandalous government Nigeria ever had. This partly explains why there is still no money in circulation in the economy, and the impact on our people is devastating.

There are 360 constituencies in Nigeria. If each Rep is allowed to pad the budget like the way Abdulmumin did, we will end up with a humongous deficit of N4.3billion x 360 = N1.548 trillion! Now, after the disastrous delay caused by vested interests of the polilooters, the final budget ratified by President Muhammadu Buhari in May stood at N6.1 trillion. Divide N1.548trillion by N6.1trillion and multiply by hundred percent (1.548/6.1)*100% gives 25.377% of the total budget.

So, the above simple arithmetic shows that if each of the 360 Members of the House of Representatives was allowed to pad the 2016 budget to the tune of 4.3billion like the way Abdulmumin Jibrin did, 25.377% of our budget would have gone to waste! What about the 109 Senators? Well, had they too been allowed to pad the 2016 budget to the same amount as attempted by Abdulmumin, over 33% of Nigeria’s 2016 budget would have gone to implementing dubious constituency projects that are of no real benefit to the masses!

Yesterday, I learnt through the Leadership newspaper that Abdulmumin Jibrin is suing me at the High Court in Abuja to the tune of N5 billion for scuttling his chances of stealing N4.3 billion from the 2016 budget. He however cleverly packaged his claim as tarnishing his “hard earned reputation and integrity”. What reputation and integrity does Abdulmumin have? This is an arrogant and morally bankrupt man that has made career as a fraudster, dabbling his hands in one financial scandal or the other, throughout his entire adult life!

Abdulmumin Jibrin, assuming you can find a Court in Nigeria that has the jurisdiction to hear your bogus libel case, I can prove to you, the court, and the rest of the world that you are as accused – a criminal gangster who attempted to defraud the Nigerian state to the tune of N4.3billion. The evidence we have against you is overwhelming. Our knowledge of digital forensics means that we will counter-sue you, and win emphatically. Your case is truly dead on arrival!

For the avoidance of doubt, we originally created the CUPS organisation to take on far more dangerous criminals than Abdulmumin Jibrin! These criminals have since gone to extinction. They are called Boko Haram. Thanks to the bravery and patriotism of the newly rejuvenated Nigerian military for a job well done. So, for an organisation created to take on Boko Haram, slugging it out in any court of law with young pretenders and clumsy 419 scammers like Abdulmumin Jibrin is the least of our concerns. We have far more serious work to do.

Fellow compatriots, be rest assured that we will be in Abuja High Court on 20th September for the showdown with this clown. Unfortunately, that Court has no jurisdiction to hear his bogus libel case. If Abdulmumin Jibrin truly wants to sue me for libel, the right court to do so is the High Court in London. Even Abdulmumin’s lawyers are clearly 419 scammers. They collected his money and gave him the wrong advice on where to sue me.

The obnoxious Social Media Bill is dead. Meanwhile no more amending of the constitution to save criminals from the full arms of the law. The #OccupyNASS and #ReclaimNigeria event was indeed immensely successful. Thanks to the various civic rights groups and patriots who collaborated with CUPS to make that historic event a success. The traitors at the NASS and enemies of the Nigerian state are feeling the bite. Now we see corruption fighting back through the courts, but to no avail!

Finally, we have created the www.cupstv.com website to expose more of the likes of Abdulmumins of this world. We will soon start broadcasting television and radio online. These are exciting times for the fight against corruption, tyranny, and impunity in Nigeria. We solicit for your prayers for the success of this ambitious project.